Growth on My Roof: Damaging or Just Ugly?
From your description, you may have lichen growing on the surface of your roof. It's a combination of algae and fungus and usually has a light, mint-green color. It doesn't trap as much water against the surface of the roof as moss, but it can be ... [... more]
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Common problem areas
The primary factor in the service life of any metal roof is how well it has been maintained. Often the metal roofs I inspect have only been neglected recently. Small areas of peeling paint and minor surface corrosion can be easily addressed, even ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Slate Roofs
Your roofer is correct: All slate is not created equal. Slate is sedimentary rock composed of compressed and hardened layers of clay or volcanic ash. Slate varies in color, denseness and purity -- and serviceable life as a roofing material. This ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Worn slate roofs - repair or replace?
Because slate is often called a "100-year-roof" homeowners sometimes assume that it doesn't need maintenance for a century. This is not the case. Slate roofs (like all roofs) should be inspected annually. Cracked, broken, loose or missing [... more]
Old House Web |
Roofing with Cedar
Special roof underlayment helps wood shingles last longer, but don't forget to apply a layer of tarpaper first. This sounds like an unhealthy marriage of old and new building techniques. As far as I know, it's not an accepted building ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Treated Shingles
But it turns out that manufacturers do offer shingles that have been pressure-treated with a compound called chromated copper arsenate, or CCA for short, to extend the life of this already hardy species. CCA was the dominant wood preservative for ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Battling Roof Moss
Be skeptical no longer. I have no way of knowing what your sister's track record might be on home repair and maintenance, but in this situation she's right. Copper or zinc strips attached to the ridge of the roof will indeed help to eliminate ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Adding photovoltaic panels to a roof
Great idea. Given very high energy costs and a very unstable world, I'll bet half the country is wishing they could put photovoltaic panels on their roofs. You're in a good spot for it, too. Modesto, about 90 miles east of San Francisco, is in a ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Saving the old look of an exposed ceiling
A few years ago I visited a cottage on Nantucket that was brand new but made to look old. Inside, both structural framing and the board sheathing had been left exposed. The effect was charming, as if this rustic and inviting cottage had not been ... [... more]
Old House Web |
My poor, aching roof!
Many an old roof is groaning under the accumulated debris of half-hearted re-roofing jobs. It's common (and acceptable) practice to add a second layer of asphalt or composition shingles over an old roof. If you look closely, the finished job ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Factors Contributing to Moisture Problems
Remedial Actions ~~ How and Where to Look for DamagingMoisture ~~ Looking for Signs ~~ Uncovering and Analyzing MoistureProblems ~~ Transport or Movement ofMoisture ~~ Surveyingand Diagnosing Moisture Damage ~~ Selecting an Appropriate Level ... [... more]
Old House Web |
Preserving & restoring historic roofs
These steps are based on guidelines developed by the Department of the Interior. The roof--with its shape; features such as cresting, dormers, cupolas, and chimneys; and the size, color, and patterning of the roofing material--is an important ... [... more]
Old House Web |
